It's Just Sleep
by SjaySmile
Summary: Jade is away on a family vacation and Cat gets lonely while her parents are away. Beck is spending an awful lot of time with Cat and he finds the pleasant change in character extremely refreshing.
1. Chapter 1

She rested her head upon his lap, her vibrant hair splayed out around her as she giggled at the show on television. Beck looked down at her and smiled softly, knowing she was the only reason he even considered watching such a mind numbing program. It was getting late and, with the blanket pulled up over her, he could see her getting tired. Cat kept catching herself drifting off, yanking her eyes open and keeping herself awake. He started to rub her back gently, running the tips of his fingers from the top of the spine to the bottom, before back down it again. Goosebumps formed on her arms and he watched as, very slowly, her eyes closed.

It had been a few minutes since she'd nodded off when he clicked the TV off, leaving them in the dark of his trailer. Only the moon trickled through the window as a light source, falling across her face like a veil. Being careful not to wake her, Beck shifted to lay her head on the pillow. It wasn't long before she was adjusting to her new position on the bed, snuggling down tight into the mattress and floating into a deeper sleep state. This was the sixth night in a row she'd slept over. If Jade knew, she'd go crazy.

But Jade didn't know. She'd been forced to go on a vacation with her family, against her and her father's will. They'd be away for a month, she told him, along with strict instructions to "be good" or she'd cut all his fingers off with her favorite pair of scissors. At the time, he hadn't taken the orders seriously, just laughed them off and given her a kiss on the lips before she drove home. However, the words swam around in his head more and more lately.

A few days after Jade had left, Cat's family had a pretty big problem with her brother. Everyone knew he was a little off his rocker, but this time he'd gone a little too over the top. They were headed somewhere to get him help and, with Cat completely oblivious, they left her behind with her Grandpa until their return. At first, the girl had been excited. Her grandpa smelled off "newspaper clippings and coffee" and told her things like, "Cat, you're the smartest cookie I've ever known," and "One day you'll have your name in lights." He made her feel better, from what Beck had heard.

Except soon, Cat started to miss her parents. Her grandfather was more busy than you'd expect an elder gentleman to be and she was left alone, all by herself more often than not. So, Beck let her spend time with him. When he was fixing cars or working on building his mother the rocking chair she wanted, Cat was around. If he just planned on watching a movie or taking a dip in the community pool, she wanted to tag along. He loved her to pieces and didn't mind the company.

It was certainly a change from Jade's normal attitude. She was the exact opposite of his girlfriend- bubbly, cheerful and bright. Never once did she yell at a small child or say that she hated something or someone. In fact, most of the time she could make him smile no matter what shape the day was in. It seemed like the world was happier when Cat was around, whether it wanted to be or not.

Looking over at where she slept in his bed, he wondered if he should pull the sleeping bag out from under the bed and just sleep on the floor tonight. One too many times in the same bed with her would be a problem, he knew that. But there was something about the bubblegum smell of her perfume and soft sighing of her breath in the quiet night that lulled him into a gentle sleep. He'd become so accustomed to her and her ways that he didn't know how he could live without them. Chewing on his lower lip, he decided it couldn't hurt to sleep one more night in bed with her.

Beck pulled off his t-shirt and tossed it aside, not able to sleep in too many layers of clothing. He'd promised her, and himself, that he'd always have pants on and that she had nothing to worry about. "It's not going to be that kind of sleepover, Cat," He had reassured her when she asked her panicked questions, "Cross my heart, hope to die."

Recalling back on this memory, he sighed and tried to get comfortable in bed. Beck looked up at the ceiling of the trailer and bit the inside of his cheek. He thought about Jade barging in any minute, yelling, telling Cat she was a betrayer, making her cry. Maybe both of them would cry. It twisted his stomach up so tight it was difficult to breathe- he wouldn't be able to handle that. _Calm down. Nothing's happening. You're both just sleeping- this is innocent. _He told himself these things over and over again but it just didn't feel right.

With this continuing on, it was going to be a long night. He raked a hand through his hair and clenched his jaw. Cat turned and snuggled up against his side, her legs wrapping around one of his and her smooth skin brushing up against his. Beck's heart beat a million miles a minute and he lay tense until about fifteen minutes later, when his muscles cramped up and he finally let them loosen. At one point, she was talking in her sleep. "Beck- Beck, c'mon, the pancakes are dancing.." She dozed off into a quiet slumber again and he smiled down at her.

His hand lifted off the bed sheets and stroked her soft hair. She was so small compared to him, so innocent and sweet. "Goodnight Cat." Beck placed a kiss atop her head and went to sleep, trying his hardest to think of nothing but Jade West.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note- This is a really short update, but a longer one is coming right after it. Thanks so much for all the great reviews! I'm happy you guys like it! If you have anything you want to see happen in the story, feel free to let me know!

She was pushing her ice cream around the bowl mindlessly, talking on about something Beck wasn't sure of. He'd tuned out accidentally a few minutes ago at the mention of Jade. A pang of guilt hit him deep in his chest and he thought he might hurl at the way his stomach twisted like it did. He loved her, didn't he? There should be no reason to feel guilty. Cat was just a good friend of his that he was spending time with. It didn't matter that she was sleeping at his place more often than her own, or that he'd become accustomed to the way it felt when she'd climb into his lap to watch a movie. It didn't matter that he knew her favorite songs and what her favorite breakfast foods were on Saturday mornings. They were just friends- that was all that mattered.

"Beck? Are you even listening?" She looked at him now with her big brown eyes and knew he looked as guilty as he felt. Cat let out a deep sigh and shook her head at him. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you." She chuckled at him before scooping a big spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. Almost instantly, her face scrunched up and she started making a high pitched humming noise, flailing her arms around like crazy. "Brain freeze!" She gasped and pushed her hands against her temples until it seemed to go away along with her strange dance she was doing in reaction to the pain. Even then in that moment, he couldn't help but admire how adorable she could be.

No- he snapped at himself in his own thoughts. She was just a friend. "Are you done with that?" He lifted himself from the bed and picked her bowl up from in front of her, not really giving her time to answer. They were supposed to go swimming later but he didn't know if he could handle that. His head was starting to pound and he just wanted to lay down and maybe take a nap for awhile. "Are you still set on going swimming?" Beck asked over his shoulder, tossing the styrofoam bowls into the trash before turning to face her. She had lounged back on the bed again, looking comfortable and like she herself could fall asleep at any minute.

Cat shook her head. "We don't have to, no." Her bubbly voice reverberated in his head and it sounded so sweet. She gasped, obviously excited. "We could go down to the new swings they put in the park by the school! I've been wanting to try them out but I haven't had the chance to get down there!" She looked so excited, so full of joy and happiness. How could he tell her no? How could he tell her that, after so many days in a row of doing things together, that he just wanted a day alone? The answer was- he couldn't. And he wouldn't.

He moved to sit next to her, pulling his shoes out from underneath the bed and slipping them on. "To the park we'll go, then." She squealed with an unreal excitement and popped up off the bed, picking her shoes up off the ground and holding them in her hand before running out the door. "I have the keys, Cat! You have to wait for me!" He called after her but he could already hear her out by his car, hopping and popping on with little sounds of pain as the cement burnt her feet. "You're supposed to actually wear your shoes, Red." He laughed, clicking the unlock button as he shook his head at her. Seeing her zip into the passenger seat, he sighed, knowing that this was only the start of a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

They'd picked up some sandwiches on the way to the park and had set up on the grass with a small blanket from the trunk of Beck's car. It wasn't long before Cat had taken off running towards the swings, begging Beck to push her as she kicked her short legs back and forth. She was so fun loving and free, he had a hard time staying in a bad mood. But he kept catching himself thinking things about her that he shouldn't think about a friend. He'd get really quiet and Cat could tell something was wrong. But she was very good at making sure he didn't stay that way for long, and before he knew it he was laughing and talking again.

After awhile on the swings, she'd convinced him to come up onto the play structure with her. He felt like a giant compared to the small place but Cat fit into it just fine. She wasn't much taller than she needed to be to fit into the small nooks and crannies and, if he didn't reassure himself that she could take care of herself, he would have been a little worried he'd lose her in the midst of the place.

It didn't take much for Beck to become tired, after squeezing himself down slides and across monkey bars. He started to head back to the blanket in the grass when he heard her calling for him. "Come eat your sandwich, Cat!" He yelled to her as he sat down and got comfortable on the blanket. The warm sun felt good on his face as he unwrapped on sandwich and set the other aside for the redhead. There weren't very many people around, maybe a few joggers and a babysitting teenager or two. But they had their area of the park to themselves and it was nice to be out just the two of them. It felt healthy, especially because he could keep a safe distance from her without it seeming like he was acting weird.

They were about halfway through their sandwiches when Cat spoke up. "Do you miss Jade?" She asked before chomping down into the second half of her sandwich. Tilting her head to the side as she chewed, it was obvious she was waiting for an answer from Beck. And Beck knew that it should be a yes, that he should miss Jade. Which he did- when he thought about her, he missed her quite a lot. But she hadn't been coming to mind too often lately. The guilt was rising up again.

He nodded his head. "I do," Swallowing the bite that was in his mouth, he lifted the water bottle and took a sip. "It makes it a little easier having someone to spend my time with though." He smiled at her and reached over to nudge her lightly. Cat broke out into a giggle. The sun hit her just right, reflecting softly off of her vibrant hair. Her big brown eyes caught his every once in awhile, smiling all on their own without the help of her lips. He was mesmerized by her, sitting in the sun.

And then he realized he was staring and his tan face flushed a deep, deep red. He looked down at the pattern on the blanket and picked at his sandwich, pulling it apart and throwing a bit of it on the grass for a bird or a squirrel to eat later. Hearing her ruffling around with the plastic bag they'd brought their sandwich in, he soon felt her push her way next to him, laying down against his front as she maneuvered to lay under his arm. Cat took his sandwich and put it away before snuggling close against him. The sun fell, just right on the two of them to make them feel warm and comfortable. They'd picked a spot fairly hidden from the rest of the park, so it's not like someone could come by and see them without looking.

"Cat, what are you doing?" He asked, looking down at her as she closed her eyes and snuggled his arm like a teddy bear around her waist. Beck didn't want to feel so comfortable like this. Didn't she usually do this with Robbie, or someone else that was a little more available? He couldn't help but love the closeness- the way her body pressed up against his, the way he could feel the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. It was too perfect and it made him feel squirmy and unnaturally warm.

She just nuzzled in closer to him. "I always take an afternoon nap after eating lunch." Cat mumbled before putting her finger to her lips to tell him to shush. He didn't know at what point he gave into fighting the nap, or at what point he let his head fall onto the blanket and relaxed against her form. But at some point he had. And, in the sunshine, behind a large row of trees that weren't tall enough to shade them, Beck and Cat slept. It was a different kind of sleep than usual, not the kind that happened when they got real tired after a long day or when they had nothing else to do but sleep. It was a close, peaceful sleep. They enjoyed each others presence and even in their dreams, didn't stop to wonder if this felt right or wrong. Everything just felt wonderful and Beck felt the happiest he'd been in a long time.

It was when he woke up that he'd half to deal with the beast he'd awoken inside.


End file.
